Category: NETWORK

A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network, such as the Internet. It enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running across the VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network.[1]

Virtual Private Networks may allow employees to securely access a corporate intranet while located outside the office. They are used to securely connect geographically separated offices of an organization, creating one cohesive network. Individual Internet users may secure their wireless transactions with a VPN, to circumvent geo-restrictions and censorship, or to connect to proxy servers for the purpose of protecting personal identity and location. However, some Internet sites block access to known VPN technology to prevent the circumvention of their geo-restrictions.

A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, virtual tunneling protocols, or traffic encryption. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a wide area network (WAN). From a user perspective, the resources available within the private network can be accessed remotely.[2]

If you’re reading this review you’re I guess interested in a VPN solution and trying to figure out which to pick in an ongoing growing list of VPN providers. Its not easy to find the best among providers all claiming the same things like speed, safety and locations.
To make your search for the best a little easier I will try to sum up some issues related to normal internet use and explain their importance in relation to your safety.
First of all you don’t need to be doing illegal stuff on the internet to make you want a VPN, as ordinary users have an even greater risk surfing the internet as they are not always aware of the tricks being used to steal information.
If you’re using Wi-Fi which you probably will, you’re more exposed to the outside world then when using cable-network. Reading a simple online-newspaper which shows you advertisements between the lines always establishes a connection with your IP-address just in order to show the images. Reading your emails which many times include images and links transfer your IP-adress to external servers filtering your behavior. To make it simple YOU’RE EXPOSED to the world. For all doing the wrong-illegal stuff on internet like downloading films and music there’s a simple warning. Stop doing what you do..or get fined …or get a VPN to make yourself invisible to the outside world.

Being invisible, is what all VPN providers claim, but are you really safe and protected ? No way…check :

Any VPN which has its base location in the USA is not fully safe proof. They have to deal with severe law regulations regarding logging of users and there internet use. So the first thing you need is a provider NOT LOGGING any IP or online activity! Simple and safe.

NORDVPN FEATURES

Easy VPN – Install and start protecting online activity with just a few clicks.

Mobile VPN – Protect privacy on the go with NordVPN mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Multiple devices – Connect up to 6 devices simultaneously with single NordVPN account.

Customer support – Experiencing any troubles with NordVPN? Contact their customer 24/7 service.

What is a Kill Switch and how does it work?

Kill switch is a technique that helps you prevent unprotected access to the internet, where your traffic doesn’t go through the VPN.

There are two key differences in the Kill Switch functionality in our NordVPN applications:

The PC version of the Kill Switch, found in our Windows and Mac (OpenVPN version)applications, terminates the applications you specify if the VPN connection suddenly disconnects, preventing those applications from sending unprotected traffic to the internet.

The Mobile version of the Kill Switch, used in our iOS application, as well as the IKEv2 version of the Mac app, disables system-wide internet access if the VPN connection suddenly disconnects – that way it protects all apps, without terminating them. It will also try to reconnect you to the last server you were connected to. ( I was unable to enable Kill Switch without choosing applications like the Windows version ??? )

Official NORDVPN Statement regarding their privacy commitment ( Below ). Being based in Panama we may rest assured this commitment is followed up.

Warrant Canary

We, NordVPN, confirm that we take full control of our infrastructure. It has never been compromised or suffered a data breach. We have not disclosed any private keys or any information of our users, and we have not been forced to modify our system to allow access or data leakage to a third party of any kind.

As of January 15th, 2018 we state the following:

We have NOT received any National Security letters;

We have NOT received any gag orders;

We have NOT received any warrants from any government organization.

!! We are 100% committed to our zero-logs policy – we never log the activities of our users to ensure their ultimate privacy, security and anonymity. !!

Strict no logs policy !! – None of your private data is being tracked or monitored.

Onion Over VPN – Combine the benefits of VPN with The Onion Router for maximum online security.

Browser Proxy Extensions – Secure browsing on Chrome and Firefox.

NORDVPN SETUP & USE

So having mentioned all known facts about NordVPN. we now come to setup and use NordVPN. After downloading the software and register your account, all we need to do is fill credentials for logging in. Connecting to their servers is fast. NordVPN will pick the best possible connection for you. Thats means best bandwidth and ping time.

There is little finetuning necessary with the application. Some options available are Cybersec (CyberSec – Shield from intrusive advertisements and malicious online threats ), Connection on start, Kill Switch, Obfuscated servers, Protocol and Custom DNS.
Enable the switches you want to use, but keep in mind the the Kill-Switch is not completely switching off all internet connection/traffic! This switch enables you to prevent chosen and added applications to connect to the internet. This is strange behaviour as I feel a Kill Switch needs to Kill all traffic.

Now all thats left really is push the ‘Connect’ button and you’re set and done. Check the weblink below to see if your connected server shows any leaks ! If so, pick another server which is safe and sound.
Ultimately you bought a VPN protection to be untraceable/invisible on the internet, so don’t take connections for granted.

NordVPN has a strict No Logging policy, which is most important for ANY VPN provider. This is where NordVPN beats many competitors, there absolute No Logging policy being a Panama based company and therefore not limited to US regulations or such.

NORDVPN IP & DNS LEAK TESTING

IP Leaks: Using the testing site ipleak.net, makes it easy to identify leaks and problems, especially when you are connected to a VPN server outside your country.“Note”, the WebRTC leak test will show local IP addresses (usually beginning with 10.xxx or 192.xxx or sometimes an alpha-numeric IPv6 address that is also local).

Big variations in speed all depending on choice of server. Servers performance is due to load of bandwidth. The different images show download performance between 13mb/s – 103mb/s !! all different servers. NordVpn has an inbuilt ping and bandwidth solution, providing the best connection possible at the specific time and place. You may of course choose and set your personal favourite location.

NordVPN provides a great price with solid performance and stability. Their No-Logging policy is to me more important then some higher download speed. NordVPN Servers are in huge numbers, so there’s always one available with good bandwidth.
Speed is very different between locations, but the application automatically picks the best option for the user. So its not the best in speed, but its best in Privacy, Pricing and available servers. NordVPN ranks in our top 3 offering best value for money.
If you’ re looking for a good VPN provider and no logging policy, check their huge offers as discounts make them even more desirable.

Panic Inc. is an Oregon-based software company and video game publisher that specializes in applications for macOS and iOS. It was founded by Steven Frank[1] and Cabel Sasser.

Their flagship program is Transmit, an FTPclient,[2] first released in 1998. The program currently competes with Fetch, Interarchy and Cyberduck, the other popular FTP clients for macOS. Transmit has won a number of design awards, including Macworld Best of Show in 2005[3] and a 2005 Apple Design Award, for the Best Use of Mac OS X Tiger Technologies.[4]

FTP is built on a client-server model architecture and uses separate control and data connections between the client and the server.[1] FTP users may authenticate themselves with a clear-text sign-in protocol, normally in the form of a username and password, but can connect anonymously if the server is configured to allow it. For secure transmission that protects the username and password, and encrypts the content, FTP is often secured with SSL/TLS (FTPS). SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is sometimes also used instead; it is technologically different.

So there is a number clients to choose from nowadays and which one to pick and give you best value for money is not easy. It all depends on your personal needs and options made available for you. Panic is different at first look, its modern and clean. As the number of websites is growing the use of a FTP Client gets more important as its the most common used file handling tool. Company administrators being professionals probably know which FTP Client to pick, but for home users its an area not familiar.
The more options provided and the more complex layout may not appeal everybody. Panic Transmit 5 offers both, an easy intuitive interface and most options are provided for the beginner or experienced user.

INSTALLATION & PREFS

Installation of Transmit 5 is piece of cake, Straightforward and no questions asked. Now in order to communicate with your remote server where for instance your website is stored, you need login credentials. Most times these are provided by your hosting company which will
give you full access to your files stored on their servers.
The FTP Client is a tool you just can’t do without period. Its created for handling files ( transfers) and provide the user a backup utility as not all hosts provide (free) backups of your important files. Messing about with your WordPress files and plugins may occasionally get you into trouble. A not (fully) working website is the result of incompatible plugins and a horror for the user. Your FTP Client is here to help you out. Restore your last backup and you’re all set again to inform the world about your point of view.

Setting up a website takes quite some time just to make it look nice and appealing. The stored information posts are gone and can’t be retrieved ( or at costs ), as Transmit 5 will help you out for $ 35 and provides piece of mind.

Now we are set and want to connect to our host or local files. The Preferences are providing enough options for most users. The Files tab in Transmit’s preferences lets you set a global preference for what happens when you double-click a file: it transfers to your computer’s default download location, edits in Transmit (for supported file types), or uses an external editor. You use that tab to enter an extension and pair it with an app you pick, like linking text files and TextWrangler.

Transmit has a lot of other preferences, such as inserting custom file header to cloud uploads to cloud services. The Rules preferences are used to avoid downloading file listings (skip), not show them (hide), or force their appearance (show) in overriding over rules.

Transmit, lets you connect to a remote server in a double window. You drag files in or out of that pane, delete them, or rename them. Transmit 5 shows different and useful controls using a control panel at the cloud-service site. Transmit lets you select any file and change the storage class, but you can’t select multiple files and change that property all at once. You can also set server-side encryption options for S3 within Transmit 5.

Transmit 5 interface is easy and clean, but clean does come at some costs of safety. I personally like to have the menu buttons with text and some safety warnings when deleting files. It now will do whatever you press. But when its gone, its gone and this is just an area I want a FTP Client to protect me from. I hope future versions will offer this small but huge impact improvements.

Panic has developed Transmit 5 and the new version gets you 11 cloud-service connections.

This development supports standard internet protocols:

unencrypted FTP

FTP with implicit SSL

FTP with TLS/SSL

SFTP, all of which use different methods of encrypting connections

webDAV, used for web-server based file exchange

Setup a web URL, or remote path, local path. If you want to add a server, you can optionally specify a web URL, a remote path on the server, and a local path related to files in that directory. With the URL filled in, selecting and file and then choosing Edit > Copy URL provides the full path for further use.

The remote path in a server configuration lets you differentiate between multiple different instances of the same server that point to distinct web servers, file containers, or folders. This makes life easy if you save a server as a droplet, so you may drag and drop files in the Finder and have them copied directly to the defined remote directory.

The local directory is used in two different ways. If you enable Go > Linked Folder Navigation, which you must do so every time when connecting. Transmit also supports DropSend. With DropSend enabled for a server, dragging a file from the referenced local directory onto Transmit’s icon in the Finder or Dock automatically copies that file to the corresponding server entry. You don’t have to open the server in Transmit or take any other steps.

Adding a server through a full Servers > Add New Server option or clicking the Quick Connect tab to start, retains the entry in the Servers view, which also allows folders for organization.

VERDICT

Transmit 5 is a piece software that I recommend fully. The new interface now matches macOS. The new cloud support for 11 cloud-servers takes Transmit 5 to a higher level. Still there are some minor but necessary improvements needed like text on the menu-buttons as there is no warning when deleting stuff. I really like working with Transmit 5 and it certainly improves version 4 in terms of looks and added features. The Cloud-servers provide a true 2017 software level. Its works stable and fast and doesn’t cost a lot. I hope that the next version will bring some automation or scheduling features is these are missed. But still this is a really fine piece of software development and we use it next to others. For every user this is a FTP Client to get and use without any restrictions.

Certified to be a “No Log” VPN by Leon Juranic, Founder and CEO of Defense Code Ltd

ABOUT VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network, such as the Internet. It enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running across the VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network.[1]

Virtual Private Networks may allow employees to securely access a corporate intranet while located outside the office. They are used to securely connect geographically separated offices of an organization, creating one cohesive network. Individual Internet users may secure their wireless transactions with a VPN, to circumvent geo-restrictions and censorship, or to connect to proxy servers for the purpose of protecting personal identity and location. However, some Internet sites block access to known VPN technology to prevent the circumvention of their geo-restrictions.

A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, virtual tunneling protocols, or traffic encryption. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a wide area network (WAN). From a user perspective, the resources available within the private network can be accessed remotely.[2]

If you’re reading this review you’re I guess interested in a VPN solution and trying to figure out which to pick in an ongoing growing list of VPN providers. Its not easy to find the best among providers all claiming the same things like speed, safety and locations.
To make your search for the best a little easier I will try to sum up some issues related to normal internet use and explain their importance in relation to your safety.
First of all you don’t need to be doing illegal stuff on the internet to make you want a VPN, as ordinary users have an even greater risk surfing the internet as they are not always aware of the tricks being used to steal information.
If you’re using Wi-Fi which you probably will, you’re more exposed to the outside world then when using cable-network. Reading a simple online-newspaper which shows you advertisements between the lines always establishes a connection with your IP-address just in order to show the images. Reading your emails which many times include images and links transfer your IP-adress to external servers filtering your behavior. To make it simple YOU’RE EXPOSED to the world. For all doing the wrong-illegal stuff on internet like downloading films and music there’s a simple warning. Stop doing what you do..or get fined …or get a VPN to make yourself invisible to the outside world.

Being invisible, is what all VPN providers claim, but are you really safe and protected ? No way…

Any VPN which has its base location in the USA is not fully safe proof. They have to deal with severe law regulations regarding logging of users and there internet use. So the first thing you need is a provider NOT LOGGING any IP or online activity! Simple and safe.Hide-me VPN collects the following data: Connection time, Connection duration and bandwidth used but NO data is collected which could be linked to a user’s online activity, No IP logs, so top marks for Hide-me VPN.

HOW DOES VPN WORK

This is the tricky part explaining the VPN process. A VPN creates a secure tunnel using most powerful VPN protocols – hides your original IP behind one of its own – encrypts all your communication and passes through the secure tunnel allowing you to surf the web freely and anonymously.

UNDERSTANDING PROXIES vs VPN vs TOR

Follow the link below to make the right decision, it’s important to understand the basic technical differences between the services

Setting up Hide-me VPN is piece of cake. Simplicity all the way. A few slides take you through the setup-proces to the final preferences and settings sheet.

VPN Connection Type is an important choice to make as it defines the used ‘tunnel-type’. Hide-me VPN provides a full explanation on their website explaining the various possibilities. Looking at the settings interface for VPN Connection Type shows two buttons: Cisco / Ipsec = IKEv2 and IKEv1 or L2TP / Ipsec = L2TP / IPsec
If you want to make use of an OpenVPN tunnel you’ll need a third party application like Viscosity or Shimo !

**Although not all the protocols are available for each platform, configuring a VPN connection will not be an issue.

So which protocol to use ?

PPTP is very insecure (even its co-creator Microsoft has abandoned it, and it has been compromised by the NSA) and should therefore be avoided. While its ease of setup and cross platform compatibility are attractive, L2PT/IPsec has the same advantages and is much more secure

L2TP/IPsec is a good VPN solution for non-critical use, although it has been severely compromised / weakened by the NSA. However, for a quick VPN setup without the need to install extra software it remains useful, particularly for mobile devices where OpenVPN support remains somewhat patchy

OpenVPN is easily the best all round VPN solution, despite needing third party software on all platforms. It is reliable, fast, and (most importantly) secure (even against the NSA), although it usually needs a bit more setting up than the other protocols

IKEv2 is also a very good (secure and fast) protocol (if open source implementations are used), especially for mobile users who may even prefer it to OpenVPN thanks to its improved ability to reconnect when an internet connection is interrupted. For Blackberry users, it is pretty much the only option available.

SSTP offers most of the advantages of OpenVPN but only in a Windows environment. This does mean that it is better integrated into the OS, but it is poorly supported by VPN providers thanks to this limitation. In addition to this, its proprietary nature and the fact that is was created by Microsoft mean that we for one don’t trust it

In our opinion the bold marked protocols are the ones to use.

OUTSTANDING SAFETY FEATURES

VPN offers unique security features that no other VPN does: SOCKS Proxy: SOCKS proxy is coupled with hide.me VPN, so users enjoy a completely different level of security. This combination of SOCKS and any supported application gives you the absolute protection against any kind of IP leaks.

They engineered this feature to perfection and have coupled the SOCKS proxy with their VPN to make it the fastest possible solution available. Once combined with a VPN connection, SOCKS is able to reduce the Round Trip Time (RTT) significantly improving your Maximum TCP Throughput which has a very significant impact on the speed of your connection.

IP and DSN leak protection:
Their DNS leak protection feature functions quite uniquely making a DNS leak impossible and same case is with our IP leak protection feature.
During an active VPN connection the application deletes the default gateway, so it is impossible that your IP leaks to unwanted third parties.

SPEED and STABILITY, SUPPORT

So we have one problem solved.. choose a No Logging provider. Now we get to find the fastest VPN. A ‘fast car’ costs money and a really fast VPN is likewise not cheap. We have an available internet speed of 200-250 Mbps which is fast if I may say so.
The speed of a VPN transmission is restricted by chosen VPN-Tunnel type ( OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, SSTP, SoftEther and IKEv2 and IKEv1.) and encryption level. Also your own ‘router’ may play a role in your VPN connection as only the more expensive and newer models support top speed. We have tested different protocols with Hide.Me and they all performs best ever !! We get speeds up to 200Mbps or more, which is the highest we have ever measured testing VPN providers.

**Connection stability was perfect! No drops or lost connections whatsoever.

VERDICT

Hide-me VPN has impressed us with an absolutely solid performance. Its the fastest VPN tested by us, given the used locations and protocols. The easy interface and setup takes even novice users through the complete proces.
OpenVPN is the best solution for every VPN but needs a third party VPN client. Having tested and measured Hide-me VPN we feel confident this is the fastest VPN available. The multiple connections and other extra’s make Hide-me VPN a VPN to be considered. Support was tested and response was quick ( see graph ). All good things in life cost money, and if you’re looking for the fastest safe and good support VPN look no further VPN is your best bet.

ExpressVPN is a leading VPN service provider enabling users worldwide to safely and anonymously browse the web. With 1000+ servers across 87 countries and new servers added each week, ExpressVPN offers a comprehensive reach and provides uncensored access to international websites. The company’s award-winning apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Routers, and Linux preserve customer privacy and provide best-in-class internet security. ExpressVPN has been operating since 2009 and today is one of the world’s largest providers of premium VPN services.

You can choose from 136 cities in 87 countries. With unlimited speeds and unlimited server switches, you can connect from anywhere in the world. See their full list of VPN server locations.

SECURITY PROVIDED

Anonymous VPN: No Logs

ExpressVPN is first and foremost a privacy company. That means not only protecting your privacy to the fullest extent possible, but also being as transparent as possible about what it means to be a logless VPN.

Setting up ExpressVPN is really easy with their provided software. Their software suite is extensive and available for all your devices. The slideshow below shows the full sequence of activation steps.

So after setting up your VPN connection, its time to set the desired configuration settings. If you want the fastest connection you’d better opt for the OpenVPN, however the program also support an ‘automatic’ feature which will
find the best connection for your personal situation. ExpressVPN states this is an option setting recommended. Its up to the user to try and find best performance if needed. The software has a neat feature for ‘Speed Test’ searching all possible servers and determine the best server connection based on ‘ping’ and ‘download speed’.

EXPRESSVPN CONFIGURATION SETTINGS

As mentioned earlier ExpressVPN has a recommended ‘automatic’ connection setting. Choosing anything but OpenVPN wether TCP or UDP, will result in slower speed and less safety.

VPN is no rocket science and its main purpose is to provide full anonymity, best encryption and stable connections combined with speed when browsing the internet. That said it is important not to choose a US based company, as they are subject to US regulations and by law cannot guaranty absolute anonymity. So get yourself a company like ExpressVPN which is located on British Virgin Islands. Better be safe then sorry.

EXPRESSVPN PERFORMANCE

Okay, all that said on done, but how does it perform in realtime ?This is all very simple and straightforward, but there are also a few extras, including the Speed Test module, diagnostics report, kill switch, and manual or automatic selection of protocol (OpenVPN, L2TP – IPSEC, PPTP, SSTP).Our privacy tests showed good results, with specific DNS leak protection ensuring our identity was protected at all times. ExpressVPN claims ‘The Fastest VPN on Earth’, well I have to disappoint ExpressVPN in this area as a competitor like VyprVPN scores much higher in downloads but ExpressVPN shows great upload speed. I have tried different locations, but somehow it seems download speed is restricted to about 80mb/s. Of course this speed is more then overkill for streaming HD and such, but there is a difference between marketing and real life.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

ExpressVPN has the best possible customer service. The company offers 24/7 live chat support and help any customer with any question. An other option is the provided email support. The only missing medium is a phone number.

Their website provides numerous tutorials, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides. Great explanations and examples on ‘how to setup a VPN on your router’ made visible with images and text. All possible protocols are described and explained. Truly the best website information found for VPN guidelines.

VERDICT

So the big question remains should you buy ExpressVPN or not? ExpressVPN offers the best anonymity en encryption possible with an excellent customer service. Equipped with features, best services and huge server span of ExpressVPN makes it a major player of the VPN industry. Add the great intuitive and downloadable software for any device and you’re set for a safe and anonymous browsing experience. Its not cheap, but then again, quality comes with a price. Want to tryout first, no problem; their 30 days money back warranty makes it all possible. ExpressVPN deserves a full 5 star reward.

FEATURE

ALL PLANS

The full suite of ExpressVPN’s software for all devices (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Routers, Linux)

✔️

Unlimited bandwidth

✔️

Unlimited server switches

✔️

Unlimited speed

✔️

99.9% uptime

✔️

OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP protocols

✔️

Strong encryption

✔️

Zero logging of your network traffic

✔️

Servers in more than 87 countries

✔️

Simultaneous connections on up to 3 devices

✔️

Round-the-clock customer support by chat or email

✔️

Awesome referral program & refer friends and get 30 days of free service for each signup!

Dashlane was co-founded in 2011 by former Business Objects CEO Bernard Liautaud,[4] Jean Guillou, Guillaume Maron, and Alexis Fogel. The company is headquartered in New York and has received $30 million in venture funding from FirstMark Capital, Rho Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Bernard Liautaud.[5][6][7] Dashlane protects passwords by storing them locally using AES-256 encryption, and users can only access their account information by using a single master password that is never recorded or transmitted.[8] The app has a fully featured digital wallet that can aggregate credit cards, bank accounts, IDs and other personal information, as well as automatically fill that information for users during online experiences like check-out.[8] Other security features offered within Dashlane include automatic password generation, a security dashboard and security breach alerts.

SETUP DASHLANE

Setting up Dashlane is a simple job if it is your first time use of a Password Manager application. Normally your passwords are stored in the Mac key-chain which has great integration with Safari. Other third party browsers however are not supported by Mac’s key-chain. A true Password Manager application stores your paswords in a vault protected with a choosen master-password by the user. ONLY YOU know the master password, it is not stored anywhere else in a cloud or on servers of Dashlane. So don’t forget it and keep it in a safe place if you don’t trust your brain.The complete setup is guided with clear and easy to understand sheets explaining every step in the proces. Those who already used other third party applications like 1Password or LastPass have the ability to import their stored passwords straight into Dashlane, 1Password users need to export their stored passwords in a .pif file which can be imported in Dashlane. It all works flawless and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist in order to make it all work as it should.

Dashlane offers a Free and a Premium version which both have an equal basic functionality but the Premium version has a full sync with all your other devices like iPhone and iPad. Web access to your passwords and a secure backup make up the difference in price tag.

Browsing the internet will make you need to log in at some sites, this is where the Mac Key-chain helps ( Safari only ) or in case of Chrome your stored passwords in your Google-account. If you want to be on the safe side a Password Manager is a better option. When visiting a known website Dashlane will popup a login suggestion and do a full auto login. In case you visit a website for the first time and need to make a registration Dashlane has its own password generator giving you options for your password, and strength. The chosen password is stored automatically .

With Dashlane, you can securely share access to protected sites. This is useful if you want someone else to make use of a service, for example, but you want to keep your banking information and other passwords private. The person you share with will get an email with a link that expires after a short time.

Dashlane can store credit card information so it can fill in your card information when you pay online. A Dashlane window pops up with tiles of your cards to choose from. It can also save a screenshot of your digital receipts, hows thats for convenience.

DASHLANE Premium offers a great Password Manager, stores your crecitcard credentials and provides a solid password generator in a complete package. It integrates in OSX and replaces the Mac Key-Chain in a smooth and clear performance. Your data is encrypted with the strongest algorithm there is, and is reachable with the Master Password only known by the user. Dashlane Premium will sync your passwords and logins with your other devices. VIP support is fair, response time approx. 6 hours. The modern interface and OSX integration makes it the best Password Manager at this moment.

Browsing the web nowadays is not without showing unwanted advertisements and being tracked by advertisers. We all like to earn money but we should be able to have control over the things we want and the things we don’t want to see. Unubstructive browsing is what I call it. This is where tools like ADGUARD come in. ADGUARD protects from trackers ( tracking is knowing all your searches and visits on the web ) and later confront you with advertisements in areas you might be interested in. We do not want such behavior and applications like ADGUARD keep us a little in control.

All free adblockers are implemented in your browser by adding extensions. Only one developer ( ADGUARD ) has a paid stand alone application available. ADGUARD is not only a simple
adblocker but adds ‘privacy and browsing security‘ as well. It works with all known browsers and also provides automatic internet traffic filters in addition to your firewall.

ADGUARD is perfectly working with Safari and makes your internet browsing safer and provides extra pleasure without advertisements and pop ups.
Mind you, some websites NEED pop ups to function, but that is for the user to find out and whitelist the related website.

ADGUARD FEATURES

— Ad Blocker. Subtle filtering of all incoming traffic, and what is more, ads are blocked before they load to the page.

— Privacy Protection. Any counters and tracking instruments will be blocked by powerful Spyware filter. With Adguard you can stop worrying for the privacy of your actions on the Internet.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Introduction

One of the main functions of Adguard is filtering ads on websites. In this article, we will describe in details how exactly Adguard filters online advertising.

Adguard’s work is based on the use of various advertising filters that define rules, based on which the program removes ads. Adguard may use a variety of different ad filters. We create some of them ourselves (you can learn more about it on this page), some of the filters are created by enthusiasts.

Ad filtering

Ad filtering mechanism depends on what product you use. Browser extensions rely on the capabilities that browsers provide them with. Adguard for Windows, Mac and Android works independently of your browser, using a completely different filtering algorithm. Below we describe all the stages of ad filtering that Adguard uses.

Page code filtering

Before a page is loaded into browser, Adguard processes its code removing elements according to the ad filtering rules. Thus browser does not recognize that there were actually those elements on this page and will not try to load them.

Page code filtering technology is used only in Adguard for Windows, Mac or Android (if high quality filtering is enabled). That is because of the fact that capabilities of browser extensions are limited, and they can not change the page code before the browser processed it.

Request blocking

Browser loads all the necessary elements on a page, defined by the page code. Based on filtering rules, Adguard can block the load of advertising elements, such as banners ads or Flash objects.

CSS Injection and Javascript

Not all advertising can be blocked within the first two steps. For instance, there is such a kind of advertising that is embedded in the page dynamically with the help of Javascript, and does not require loading of additional items that we could block.

CSS is a special language used for web pages design. Display style of elements on a web page can be set by rules. By style we mean color, font, location, and even the visibility of the element. And that is of interest to us, because we want to hide the banner from you. Javascript is also a special language that allows you to dynamically change any element on the page.

Post-processing of pages

This is an approach for browser extensions only. It is necessary, because the first step of processing (page code filtering) is unavailable to them. During post-processing, the browser extension removes all the elements, loading of which was blocked, from a web page. If we didn’t remove them, you would see not fully loaded elements, such as “broken” graphic.

ADGUARD unlike all other ad-blockers is NOT an extension in the web browser but a standalone application, with its preferences located in the menubar. ADGUARD used to have some impact on your processor, but this latest version 1.3.0 has no or little processor use.

ADGUARD blocks adds and pop-ups unobstructive. There is no impact on speed browsing the web. ADGUARD provides Privacy and Browser Protection from most of malicious, phishing and scam websites. These features are a real bonus and justify the paid app compared to free alternatives.

Another great feature of ADGUARD is the ‘ automatic filter of all internet traffic ‘ using the traffic interception module. This is a great addition to the standard firewall. Secure ( https ) connections are also filtered if selected.

ADGUARD uses Web of Trust ( WOT ) information in order to make decisions wether a website is to trust or not. This information is updated regularly to maintain the level of protection.

ADGUARD has the ability to add your own user filter, along with the other preset (spyware ) filters. The whitelist can be edited if needed, to grant a known website access. All in all, it works without any obstruction.

Browsing the internet, ADGUARD automatically comes to action, Safe websites get a small Green sign in the right bottom corner telling you its safe to proceed. Entering an unsafe or possible unsafe website triggers a WARNING, but gives you the option to proceed anyway. Trying out the warning action interception on different websites shows that

VERDICT

ADGUARD is not your average adblocker. This application has a mind of its own and sorts out he good from the bad.
ADGUARD does provide safety and relaxed internet use. No more obstructive advertisements and pop ups, just plain and simple internet browsing .
A pleasure to have it doing its job without any hassle. I recommend ADGUARD fully, if relaxed and safer browsing is your thing the price should be no deal breaker.

YUMMY FTP Pro is an easy to use, and powerful FTP/S + SFTP + WebDAV/S file transfer app. Transfer a few files or a full website , can be scheduled for auto backup. Yummy FTP is really loaded with options
and preferences settings. It auto connects and keeps your transfers going with auto resume and reconnect.

INSTALLATION

Installation is simple and without reboot of your system. Once installed its time to setup your FTP / SFTP or WebDAV connections. Again easy with a clean interface asking you for server/name/password/gate etc.
Now you’re on your way. A great feature of YUMMY is the import of FTP (e.o ) settings from other software like Transmit in the integrated Bookmarks manager. It copies all relevant settings and info to YUMMY in a split second.

PREFERENCES

YUMMY FTP Pro is loaded with options. Almost anything is at hand to make sure your connections stay alive and transfers are safe and sound. Which it does after completing a job well done.

The YUMMY Interface is straightforward. This is my only piece of little critisism , because being paid software it could do with a more up to date interface.
Connecting to a desired server is quickly done with Bookmarks. Just hit the server you want and thats it.
Automatic connections and backup/sync are also part of YUMMY’s extensive options.

YUMMY wil keep your transfers alive and will even reconnect and resume if necessary !

SPEED of TRANSFERS

YUMMY claims to be Turbo charged, so its time to find how YUMMY compares to another paid rival like TRANSMIT.

YUMMY FTP Pro offers best speed and the available options are more extensive then most other FTP programs offer. A good price for a solid performing package.
The interface is good and intuitive for experienced and novice users.
FTP is all about speed, options and safety. YUMMY offers best speed and price. Auto reconnect, resume and safe transfers are some of the best features along with scheduled backup or sync.

Yummy beats the competition when it comes down to price, speed and options. Recommended buy !

New version 3.5.2.0 for Mac. Remote Desktop Manager lets you centralize all your remote connections, passwords and credentials into a unique platform.
There is a Free and Enterprise edition available. Full option Remote connections for the private or company administrator.

INSTALLATION & SETUP

REMOTE DESKTOP MANAGER for Mac is a real sophisticated piece of software. The interface ( windows like ) is clean, so is the menubar.
This app is loaded with all possible connection features, not only for home users but most of all for business administrators.
Installing the software is easy and lets you register for the Devolutions cloud web-based service.
The web account presents your credentials like: registered name, serial provided, invoices & quotes ,with clean layout and interface.

Team Solution

Share and centralize all of your connections and passwords within the organization

Access your data when offline

Manage and restrict user access

View connection logs and track all remote access details

Security

Secure the organization via the best encryption algorithm

Generate strong passwords and identify weak passwords

U.S. federal government approved encryption

User Interface & Organization

Intuitive interface for all types of users

Easy to deploy and use in an Enterprise environment

No extensive training required

REMOTE DESKTOP MANAGER has so many options and features, they can’t all be mentioned and discussed in this review.
The software is divided in different sessions:
– Remote Connections
– Virtual sessions
– Cloud
– Web

The common Remote connections are endless and well presented in the interface.

You may also connect to various cloud based drives like OneDrive , Dropbox , Azure

PASSWORD MANAGEMENT

The capabilities of Remote Desktop Manager are great. It also supports most other password managers for integrating in RDM. It can work with different authentication methods and can even stop revealing administrators passwords to admins. RDM boosts a great security level all the way.

VERDICT

REMOTE DESKTOP MANAGER for MAC is the Swiss Army knife for company admins dealing with remote connections without restrictions.
The best ever remote connections manager i’ve come across for a great price. My personal number one choice, if opting for a tool that does it all.

Your internet connection to the outside world, is vulnerable to hackers, trojans and malware. All are interested in your personal data, and your computer simply has a mind of its own and exactly does what it is supposed to do; Follow up commands. Your computer is sending and receiving information continuously, without you knowing. You will be surprised to see how many different server connections just one email stores. Risky business nowadays.
So we need a ‘ connection guard ‘ preventing unwanted data coming in or out. There are two major software packages helping us out : HANDS OFF and LITTLE SNITCH.

Both work in a similar way and share a similar interface with minor differences.

FEATURES

PERFORMANCE

Little Snitch and Hands Off have the same approach towards intercepting every trace of connections made by software on your computer. Every time data is trying to connect to your network/internet a popup will show asking your to allow or block a port or IP address. Once you set your choices, a popup for a similar new internal transmission request will be hosted by the stored information of HANDS OFF. U new popup will only appear incase of unknown transmission request. Most transmission connections are from port 80 and 443. Its for you to decide what to do. Thats not easy for novice users is it. An experienced user will ( hopefully ) know what traffic is normal and even necessary to make your software work, but a novice user is unable to tell the difference in port or IP Address. HANDS OFF is helping the user slightly better by mentioning a domain instead of just port and IP.

This is an easier approach then Little Snitch.

POPUPS

Both packages work with similar popups. There are some differences in choices to make. You will notice that HANDS OFF offers solutions for ‘Domains’ rather then port and IP. This is a different approach to a the system alert.

LITTLE SNITCH

Grant the app in question to freely access any connection

Grant it access only to the specific port it is requesting

Grant it access only to the specific address it is requesting

Grant it access to both the address and port it is requesting

HANDS OFF

Grant access to any domain’s resolving

Grant access to any domain’s resolving and outgoing connections

Grant access only to the domain in question

Grant access to the domain in question and allow outgoing connections

TRAFFIC CONTROL

Earlier versions of Little Snitch, only supported alerts for Outgoing transmissions and NO incoming transmissions. The latest version however is supporting incoming transmission traffic as well. So there is a tie in traffic handling too.
Again like Little Snitch there is NO impact on internet/network speed when using either programs.

TRAFFIC MONITOR

Both programs have a Traffic Monitor in the menu bar. Again they look similar, but my personal favorite is Little Snitch. Just cosmetic and not because of much better functionality.

VERDICT

HANDS OFF is a fine product that works really well. It does what it is supposed to do, handle your connections in a safe and manageable way.

Price wise I feel that LITTLE SNITCH is a better investment compared to HANDS OFF. But HANDS OFF is a better option for novice users when it comes down to, offered choices and traffic description.

If you are one of those people opting for a VPN ( Virtual Private Network ) connection, you have a few options finding the VPN client that helps you connect to the desired VPN server.
It’s not all rocketscience, but choosing between the options can proof difficult as they differ a lot.

The options are:

Tunnelblick ( Free )

SHIMO

Viscosity

Cisco

OSX VPN ( Free )

All mentioned clients are VPN Clients of which Tunnelblick and your own OSX system are Free while SHIMO and Cisco and Viscosity are paid clients.
So which should you opt for ? I think it all comes down to your need of security and options.

Tunnelblick ( Free ) and Viscosity and OSX, are really easy to setup and work well, but with a lower level of security.

SHIMO FEATURES

Highest Security Standards

Optimized User Experience

Multitude of VPN Protocols

Concurrent Connections

Automated Connections

Two-Factor Authentication

Statistics and Accounting

Export and Deployment

OSX El Capitan ready

Cisco VPN (which are now supported without the need to install Cisco’s client), but for other VPNs, as well:

SSH support

standard PPTP

L2TP

Racoon/IPSec

OpenVPN

AnyConnect

Sync between Macs

VPN switching

Reconnect dropped connections

Customizeble connect actions ( launch app…)

IMPORT OPENVPN

SHIMO will automaticly detect and install an earlier install of accounts . To set the needed password / name select the account and click edit in the right bottom corner.
Make SHIMO client connect automaticly :

add your account to the ‘Trigger’ page and all is done. ( picture above )

MENUBAR APP

SHIMO has its own menubar app which informs about the active connection , graph , log and IP addresss.
Furthermore it provides all other VPN server access and preferences.

IMPACT ON CONNECTION SPEED

SHIMO NOT CONNECTED

SHIMO CONNECTED

Conclusion: NO IMPACT ON NETWORK SPEED

WHY IT IS THE BEST

One of the main features of SHIMO is its extreme level of security / encryption. For every business or experienced user this is a real plus.
The options in SHIMO are more then most users will need, but that said it shows the developers approach to make this product the best on the market

So is it for everyone? If you feel comfortable with just an easy VPN client you may pick Viscosity as its the easiest VPN Client but if you need the extra safety bonus, this package has it all.

It just stands out of the rest, a great interface, best security and most options and last but not least IT WORKS !

But all good things in life cost money, so get your wallet out and get that extra safety.